#About Yoga Teacher Training

[alpesh-yoga]

About Us Yoga Teacher Training

Alpesh Patwari, a top yoga teacher in India, founded Alpesh Yoga Teacher Training school in Goa and Dharamshala. for training yoga students over a decade.

[burst-of-iridescent]

South Asian and Hindu Influences in ATLA (Part 2)

disclaimer: i was raised culturally and religiously hindu, and though i've tried to do my research for this post and pair it with my own cultural knowledge, i'm not an expert on hinduism by any means. should i mess up, please let me know.

please also be aware that many of the concepts discussed in this post overlap heavily with religions such as buddhism and jainism, which might have different interpretations and representations. as i'm not from those religions or cultures, i don't want to speak on them, but if anyone with that knowledge wishes to add on, please feel free.

Part 1

In the previous post, I discussed some of the things ATLA got right in its depictions of desi and hindu cultures. unfortunately, they also got plenty of things wrong - often in ways that leaned towards racist caricatures - so let's break them down, starting with...

Guru Pathik

both the word "guru" and name "pathik" come from sanskrit. pathik means "traveler" or "he who knows the way" while guru is a term for a guide or mentor, similar to a teacher.

gurus were responsible for the very first education systems in ancient india, setting up institutions called gurukuls. students, referred to as disciples, would often spend years living with and learning from their gurus in these gurukuls, studying vedic and buddhist texts, philosophy, music and even martial arts.

however, their learning was not limited merely to academic study, as gurus were also responsible for guiding the spiritual evolution of their disciples. it was common for disciples to meditate, practice yoga, fast for days or weeks, and complete mundane household chores every day in order to instill them with self-discipline and help them achieve enlightenment and spiritual awareness. the relationship between a guru and his disciple was considered a sacred, holy bond, far exceeding that of a mere teacher and student.

aang's training with guru pathik mirrors some of these elements. similar to real gurus, pathik takes on the role of aang's spiritual mentor. he guides aang in unblocking his chakras and mastering the avatar state through meditation, fasting, and self-reflection - all of which are practices that would have likely been encouraged in disciples by their gurus.

pathik's design also takes inspiration from sadhus, holy men who renounced their worldly ties to follow a path of spiritual discipline. the guru's simple, nondescript clothing and hair are reflective of the ascetic lifestyle sadhus are expected to lead, giving up material belongings and desires in order to achieve spiritual enlightenment and, ultimately, liberation from the reincarnation cycle.

unfortunately, this is where the respectful references end because everything else about guru pathik was insensitive at best and stereotypical at worst.

it is extremely distasteful that the guru speaks with an overexaggerated indian accent, even though the iranian-indian actor who plays him has a naturally british accent. why not just hire an actual indian voice actor if the intention was to make pathik sound authentic? besides, i doubt authenticity was the sole intention, given that the purposeful distortion of indian accents was a common racist trope played for comedy in early 2000s children's media (see: phineas and ferb, diary of a wimpy kid, jessie... the list goes on).

furthermore, while pathik is presented a wise and respected figure within this episode, his next (and last) appearance in the show is entirely the opposite.

in the episode nightmares and daydreams, pathik appears in aang's nightmare with six hands, holding what appears to be a veena (a classical indian music instrument). this references the iconography of the hindu deity Saraswati, the goddess of wisdom and knowledge. the embodiment of divine enlightenment, learning, insight and truth, Saraswati is a member of the Tridevi (the female version of the Trimurti), one of the most respected and revered goddesses in the Hindu pantheon... and her likeness is used for a cheap laugh on a character who's already treated as a caricature.

that's bad enough on its own, but when you consider that guru pathik is the only explicitly south asian coded character in the entire show, it's downright insulting. for a show that took so many of its foundational concepts from south asia and hinduism and yet provided almost no desi representation in return, this is just rubbing salt in the wound.

Chakras

"chakra", meaning "circle" or "wheel of life" in sanskrit, refers to sources of energy found in the human body. chakra points are aligned along the spine, with energy flowing from the lowest to the highest point. the energy pooled at the lowest chakra is called kundalini, and the aim is to release this energy to the highest chakra in order to achieve spiritual enlightenment and consciousness.

the number of chakras varies in different religions, with buddhism referencing five chakras while hinduism has seven. atla draws from the latter influence, so let's take a look at the seven chakras:

Muladhara (the Root Chakra). located at the base of the spine, this chakra deals with our basest instincts and is linked to the element of earth.

Swadhisthana (the Sacral Chakra). located just below the navel, this chakra deals with emotional intensity and pleasure and is linked to the element of water.

Manipura (the Solar Plexus Chakra). located in the stomach, this chakra deals with willpower and self-acceptance and is linked to the element of fire.

Anahata (the Heart Chakra). located in the heart, this chakra deals with love, compassion and forgiveness and is linked to the element of air. in the show, this chakra is blocked by aang's grief over the loss of the air nomads, which is a nice elemental allusion.

Vishudda (the Throat Chakra). located at the base of the throat, this chakra deals with communication and honesty and is linked to the fifth classical element of space. the show calls this the Sound Chakra, though i'm unsure where they got that from.

Ajna (the Third Eye Chakra). located in the centre of the forehead, this chakra deals with spirituality and insight and is also linked to the element of space. the show calls it the Light Chakra, which is fairly close.

Sahasrara (the Crown Chakra). located at the very top of the head, this chakra deals with pure cosmic consciousness and is also linked to the element of space. it makes perfect sense that this would be the final chakra aang has to unblock in order to connect with the avatar spirit, since the crown chakra is meant to be the point of communion with one's deepest, truest self.

the show follows these associations and descriptions almost verbatim, and does a good job linking the individual chakras to their associated struggles in aang's arc.

Cosmic Energy

the idea of chakras is associated with the concept of shakti, which refers to the life-giving energy that flows throughout the universe and within every individual.

the idea of shakti is a fundamentally unifying one, stating that all living beings are connected to one another and the universe through the cosmic energy that flows through us all. this philosophy is referenced both in the swamp episode and in guru pathik telling aang that the greatest illusion in the world is that of separation - after all, how can there be any real separation when every life is sustained by the same force?

this is also why aang needing to let go of katara did not, as he mistakenly assumed, mean he had to stop loving her. rather, the point of shedding earthly attachment is to allow one to become more attuned to shakti, both within oneself and others. ironically, in letting go of katara and allowing himself to commune with the divine energy of the universe instead, aang would have been more connected to her - not less.

The Avatar State

according to hinduism, there are five classical elements known as pancha bhuta that form the foundations of all creation: air, water, earth, fire, and space/atmosphere.

obviously, atla borrows this concept in making a world entirely based on the four classical elements. but looking at how the avatar spirit is portrayed as a giant version of aang suspended in mid-air, far above the earth, it's possible that this could reference the fifth liminal element of space as well.

admittedly this might be a bit of a reach, but personally i find it a neat piece of worldbuilding that could further explain the power of the avatar. compared to anyone else who might be able to master only one element, mastering all five means having control of every building block of the world. this would allow the avatar to be far more attuned to the spiritual energy within the universe - and themselves - as a result, setting in motion the endless cycle of death and rebirth that would connect their soul even across lifetimes.

[cleapallea]

master list + More

𐙚 𝗘𝗠𝗣𝗧𝗬 𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗘𝗧𝗦𐙚

& how you can make income! 🤑

Is empty house means empty wallet?

There are 12 sectors (zodiac sign + house) in astrology that reflect different aspects of your life. At this point, if you have planets in 12 houses, a planet being in that house as well as the rulers means you should have more focus in that area. For example, too many planets (2) in a tenth house with Venus aspects or rulers (Taurus and Libra) signifies that your career might be related to Venus qualities such as modeling, rebranding, or makeup (products, tutorials, etc.). Hence, I know some of you might ask: So what to do if none?

Empty Planet in 1st house

Aries: self image, rebranding and investing

Empty Planet in 2nd house

Taurus: depends on your own efforts. Kinda Similiar to 1st.

Empty Planet in 3rd House

Gemini: Person's activity, and investment (education, training and self development -professional)

Example: Graphic Designer, Artworks related, Freelance writer and etc

Empty Planet in 4th house

Cancer: Anything related to fostering homes, and building connections (social network)

Example: adopting a dog (female), and let them grow after that you can sell her puppies. Or you can build a pets/ poultry suppliers.

Empty Planet in 5th house

Leo: Anything related to pleasure, wholesome stuff, makes you happy and alive, self-expression, recreation, and innovation.

Example: Build a program (school, playground, or be a Yaya for a day) and alike

Empty Planet in 6th house

Virgo: anything related to health, wellness, and daily routines

Example: Be secretary, write a blog about health and wellness, Be a Yoga instructor, or Drugs Cashier in some malls, teacher and more.

Empty Planet in 7th house

Libra: anything related to partnership, business and interest in society as a whole.

Example: Be an event planner, teacher, or social media influencer starts to sell your self in social media.

Empty Planet in 8th house

Scorpio: money houses, long term success or growth career, real state investments and financial portfolios

Example: rentals of your personal collection like shoes, etc.

Empty Planet in 9th house

Sagittarius: Travel, higher learning, personal philosophy, exploration and intellect

Example: You may consider writing a story or list of quotes on a known website and look for a small publisher until you get recognized. You can also Teach foreign ppl in diff countries to use other languages.

Empty Planet in 10th house

Capricorn: public image, career aspiration and achievement, and more on ppl oriented.

Example: vlogger, streamer, content creator, YouTuber and alike

Empty Planet in 11th house

Aquarius: humanitarian and personal networks. Anything that may show your passion and interest in specific content.

Example: musician, or be friends with famous people (they can help you a lot), then let them see your talents. I've known a lot of Aquarius placements tend to be very talented. You just have to precise and be stick with good purpose cause double karma occurs if you're not.

Empty Planet in 12th house

Pisces: Mysterious side of humanity, mind, and life

Example: be a tarot reader, practice gambling, or any creative outlets.

✎ There are no such things as empty planets. The empty planets are ruled by the "lord" or "zodiac signs" inside them. Although I don't really believe it's not your main focus but more in IT'S YOUR HIDDEN GOAL AND SUCCESS, I've heard a lot of women who have their second house empty, but years later become rich due to partnerships, investments in education, and such. We have this called "transitting of each sign."

✎ take note that this is not a dynamic and astrology is about multifaceted interpretation. The question of where and what you can do to make money can vary depending on the whole system of your chart (aside from your energy). For me, I need to see the whole birth chart before I give the exact meaning of it. Every chart is different, so I can't provide full, detailed information about it.

✎You have to look for your MC (signs), Jupiter house +signs (power), Saturn (warnings/challenges occur) and Moon placed (for reminder why you started, why you need to work something like that) if you don't like your moon, then look for your south code. Or if you dont know how to start, look for the (Pluto). Find inspiration in everything :) God bless!

Plagiarism is A crime.

[anchoeritic]

Jake sully pregnancy anything !!! Please . I NEED DILF JAKE

your habits jake learned to grow used to after you became pregnant with his child:

• constant need for cuddles / physical touch. your number one love language is cuddles, second is probably acts of service. it can vary from time to time.

• it didn’t matter what time of day it was, where you were sitting or standing, you always needed to feel him in one way or another. you tend to hold his hands a lot more when you’re in public rather than hugging onto him though. you knew the clan wouldn’t mind but it’s much more personal.

• jake smiles to himself when he feels your hand slip into his, your fingers intertwining gently. your hands were smaller than his so it felt like he was melting your hands but you loved that. the warmth of your mate could never steer you away, only drag you closer to him.

• another habit jake got used to, the emotional rollercoasters you would go on because of your hormones. it would happen almost all the time and only he knew how to deal with it.

• being more emotional can also lead to becoming more anxious: as jake calls it, you can be a little over the edge sometimes. refusing to

• sometimes you’d wake up crying in jake’s arms, using him as a shield to shy away. it would work out pretty well because you’ll usually be met with kisses and breathy reassurances by your mate: “you’re okay, baby.” “i’m right here, don’t worry.”

• sobs. he is the cutest person to ever exist. literally the most wholesome in the entire universe.

• his favourite thing to do when you’re falling asleep is hum to you. he’s not a great singer, he knows that, but it took him time to realize that maybe you thought different.

• his singing is trash but you would never tell him that. you’d rather listen to his voice right as you fall asleep than listen to the crickets of silence and his heavy snores.

• so he likes to hum nursery rhymes or old songs that his friends would sing to him during his time as a marine and pet your hair, hoping the lil lovebug in your belly could hear the bonding of their parents. jake would do anything to make his loved ones happy.

• something else you picked up was a lot more gentle training, like yoga! preparing for birth was something unexpected so you had to get ready for it.

• jake would come back from his training to you in a warrior pose, it didn’t look close to the warrior poses he had to endure training with the clan, but he still joined you.

• pressing a kiss to your head as a quiet greeting, he’d get into position, following your voice as his commands. “let the wind flow through you, let it feel your emotions, let everything blow out,”

• let’s just say the session would be ruined by jake laughing at how you worded your sentences, finding them a lot dirtier than you did. “shut up.” “jeez, i’m sorry, honey!”

• little did he know, you’d be laughing under your breath too.. just a lil bit quieter than he did though so he wouldn’t notice.

• “you’re a child, jake.” you scolded him, moving down into a different position, feeling the stretch of your muscles. he chuckled, shaking his head. “how did you expect me not to laugh?” true.

• you began to become more of a motherly figure to the other children, trying to teach them the language of the sky people. you weren’t a teacher, but someone that was willing to share the world jake once set life on.

• from the nature around, you would weave them into small gifts, giving them to each of the children with a smile. those handmade gifts can vary from hats, bracelets, and even rings.

• your partner in crime was, you guessed it, jake. he would collect and you would weave. a two man job for a couple, this was light work.

• while taking care of the children from time to time, you developed a group meeting; called it a sharing circle. jake recommended it as a type of way to get closer to one another. each day, a couple of kids would talk about themselves like a show & tell, telling stories or just about their favourite hobbies.

• soon after, some of the adults would start to join, sitting beside their kids and listening to their stories. neytiri loved to talk about the history of toruk makto, creating tiny shadow figures with her hands to entertain the children.

• life wasn’t so easy on pandora but it was your homeland, you were surrounded by the people you loved, the mate of your dreams. you wouldn’t trade it for anything else.

[laelelinae]

hii can I have general akaashi headcanons pls? TYY!

General Akaashi HCs!

The type of person to talk to himself 😭😭

Probably just muttered things to himself and practice compliments to give 😭

I FEEL LIKE HE WOULD HAVE SILLY SOCKS,LIKE FROG ONES AND SHARK ONES HFGGHGH

Probably has a ikea shark plushie and the fat bear plushie

HE LOVES PLANTS IM SURE OF IT. Probably has a lot of plants in his house and a few in his room

Talks to them like he’s a dad to themmmm

I feel like he’s pretty nerdy😭 but probably has stable grades?

Probably has the cleanest and comfiest room known in mankind

I feel like he would smell minty like sweet and minty or just some refreshing smell!

Probably a froggie boy ,I feel like he had a frog phase and owns a crochet frog hat taht his mom made 😭😭

Type of person to get bottled black coffee and sandwiches at convenience store in the mornings

I think he’s the type of person to read people when’s out like when he’s bored ,he just looks at someone random and think about how their life,their career and how they are ?

Probably LOVES crunchy sweet green grapes

I feel like he loves light green and dark blue?

Likes going to libraries a few times a week

Probably a top in his class? Not top 1 but around top 3 to 5?

He loves making snowman in the winter :)))

Probably a mommy boy (in a good way) (his mom is probably really really sweet)

Loves going to local bakeries

LOCAL GRANDMAS AND GRANDPAS LOVES HIM LIKE?? HES SUCH A GOOD BOI

Listens to Wave to Earth and probably Lamp😝

Has a few pictures of you and him on dates and silly pictures of him and Bokuto

If you ever go on dates with him,he probably always bring small tiny gifts like snacks or little clips he randomly brought for you <3

Does whatever you do

Quality time is a must for this man😭

Your parents DEFINITELY LOVES HIM AND IS LOOKING FORWARD FOR YOUR WEDDING LIKEEE

He probably walks old people dogs on holiday mornings and he gets some tips or food in return 😭

Has a crochet frog keychain on his backpack

I feel like he does yoga sometimes

LOVESSS bringing you on picnic & aquarium dates

I bet he LOVES Shinchan (me too)

Probably has a salt lamp

Likes collecting some gems from some local shops

Whenever he’s sick or your sick,he would make soups that taste like literal heaven

I feel like he dates to marry (loyal boy!)

I feel like he would love to visit local farms and helps out the farmers

Loves taking the trains and take some pictures

Loves cuddling you,pecking you with some kisses

Secretly REALLY caring and LOVING.

Probably prefer at home dates more,would just love to lay on your thighs or chest and just rest on there like a sloth😭

Probably snores really quietly

Loves snacking on cucumbers and drinking veggie juices

Have bokuto third wheel your dates 😭

Loves buying you small gifts like always

Buys them in random shops,buys clips,small plushie keychains,matching keychains. And honestly,anything!

Let’s you put on makeup on him😭

You guys went to Uniqlo and then picked outfits for each other !!

Speaking of Uniqlo,surely is a Uniqlo boy!

Loves fat plushies and soft ones

Loves the rain!

Probably has really soft hair but he doesn’t take care of it that often.

SMOOTHHHH SKINNN! Like is shiny and soft?!

Probably has a 2 step skincare, face wash and then some moisturizer 😭

Type of person to never get tanned,he does put on sunscreen and sometimes doesn’t and still never get tanned

Favorited student by many many teachers and students EVEN JANITORS

Probably got so much gifts on his desk on Valentine’s Day,like at least more than 5😭

Would’ve just gave all the chocolate to Bokuto LMFAO

Loves drinking yogurt (especially blueberry flavored or just normal)

I feel like he loves eating crepes

Just love refreshing stuff

When he first started dating you in high school,he probably had dreams and imaginations about proposing to you after college 😭🫶🏻🫶🏻

And guess what? He did 😝

[meichenxi]

career. change. help

so I am making a career change because teaching is going to make me burn out and I NEED YOUR HELP to brainstorm, fellow neurodivergents and degenerates!!!!! do you have any personal experience? any careers or jobs that work for you? (doesn't need to be a 'career' that your parents would be proud of; postie works fine!)

if you don't have any ideas, could you pass it around?

what we're working with / difficulties:

I am adhd and hyperactive. I like moving around a lot and struggle to sit still all day

I am also most likely autistic. I get HUGE masking/social hangovers that mean that when I teach for 2 hours, I need to spend another 2 hours directly afterwards in the dark with noise cancelling headphones. teaching in a school left me essentially unable to cook, clean or socialise for a year. even now teaching 1-1 means that I spend 100% of the time teaching recovering afterwards at least - so an hour recovering for an hour's teaching. this inevitably leads to burnout.

I have a lot of sensory difficulties and get easily overstimulated e.g. bright lights, sounds etc. I wear blue light cancelling glasses and use loops and/or noise cancelling headphones where applicable but yeahhhh. still doesn’t really do it

I have a problem with my ulnar nerve which means that typing for extended periods of time (even standing up, even with accommodations) is difficult. This is a cumulative thing, so it means that if I don’t type very much for one day, it’ll be easier the next day, but I still can only type for about 3 hours maximum. After a while (say 3-4 days of typing a reasonable amount), everything begins to hurt and eventually my hands seize up and I can’t use them :))) I can’t really use assistive technology enough as a stop-gap, because scrolling, clicking, holding a phone, cooking, washing up etc – all things where my elbows are a right angle all cause this problem

strengths:

I have a lot of experience teaching and tutoring. Don’t really want to continue this, but this is what my main experience so far is in – I’ve taught in China, Japan, Korea, Thailand, and the UK

I have experience managing teams of teachers and training, running interviews, writing curriculums etc. basically anything teacher-related I am fairly experienced at

I can speak (obviously) english, decent mandarin chinese, decent german, and could get good at french or spanish or dutch if you gave me like. six months to reactivate it

a good degree from a good university in the uk, linguistics, first class

I have a yoga teaching qualification

physically fit and able-bodied and active – I can run, walk, climb, pull things, do whatever

the issue I’m facing is that most ‘autism friendly’ careers I am looking at all involve extensive periods of typing, which I am not really able to do. and most ‘normal’ careers all involve extensive periods of socialising, which I am not really able to do. It’s a pretty shit situation. I am very good and enjoy performance-type things like teaching drama, yoga, tour guiding and stuff – all things my adhd brain loves – but I can only do them for a very short period of time before my autistic brain needs alone time in the dark.

So anyway. What sort of things do you guys do? What works for you? Any tips or help or directions would be greatly appreciated. Unfortunately it’s not a ‘how to solve the world career’, but ‘how to have a life’ type career – I am not adverse to working as a cleaner or a traffic warden or whatever. As long as I can write my book alongside (which I can’t do with ‘typing’ heavy jobs), I’ll be happy. at the moment I'm mainly just sad and frustrated at how little life i can lead even working 15 hours a week (which is all I work, and all, with this current job, that I can work)

maybe I’ll just make a youtube channel. imagine

[talonabraxas]

Awakening the Kundalini

The term Kundalini which is much used by yogis and spiritual practitioners, is an extremely important concept for any person seeking spiritual enlightenment and illumination. Kundalini can be best explained as the sacred fire located near the base of the spine. The fiery serpent in Exodus, verses 7:9-12 and 21:6-8 is also a reference to the Kundalini.

Importance of Kundalini in Spiritual Practice

The Kundalini energy helps the brain cells to register spiritual or higher experiences and stimuli. The brain, the nervous system and the physical body is improved and upgraded. A person with a highly awakened Kundalini is a genius and has the potential to become a great spiritual leader. Kundalini energy is like a fertilizer. The positive and negative qualities in a person will be highly magnified when the Kundalini is awakened to a large degree. Thus inner purification is necessary when a person embarks on a spiritual journey.

Structure of the Kundalini

The Kundalini has 7 layers and each layer has 7 sub-layers and hence there are 49 degrees of awakening it. Even common people have awakened their Kundalini, but to a very small degree. Hence the question is not whether the Kundalini is awakened but the question is to what degree is the Kundalini awakened.

Awakening of the Kundalini Energy through the Twin Hearts Meditation

The Twin Hearts Meditation is a safe and effective way to awaken the Kundalini energy. In this form of meditation, the heart and the crown chakra are activated first. The spiritual energy then flows down in great quantities to the base of the spine. The Kundalini energy is thus awakened to a higher degree as well as regulated and brought up to the higher chakras in the human body and to the crown chakra or sahasrara chakra. There is a sensation of your head being pushed down during the meditation. This is the spiritual energy descending. The practitioner may experience energy going up the spine. This is the Kundalini rising up.

About Arhatic Kundalini Meditation This form of meditation is also known as Meditation on the Inner Breath. Practicing this meditation helps in awakening the sacred fire or Kundalini, energizes and balances the chakras, purifies the energy bodies and develops inner awareness and awakens the consciousness.

Practicing of Arhatic Kundalini Meditation is Extremely Beneficial for the Practitioner. Some of the Results of the Meditation are:

It helps in developing the will aspect of the soul.

Accelerates the evolution of the soul.

Arhatic Kundalini Meditation helps in cleansing the energy channels, the chakras and the aura.

Accelerates the evolution of the physical body. (The physical body also needs to evolve with the evolution of the soul.)

Why is it Essential that the Physical Body should Develop along with the Soul?

If the physical body’s evolution is not at par with the evolved soul, there will be a mismatch. The evolved soul will fail at impressing on the physical brain many of the inner experiences. The physical body should be able to withstand greater amounts of kundalini energy flowing through it. Caution A new Arhatic yogi should restrict the practice of this form of meditation to once or twice a week. Daily practice of this form of meditation can cause severe hypertension.

Hatha Yoga

The special practices of Hatha yoga can also help in awakening the Kundalini. It is not an advanced spiritual technique, but can be effective over a period of time. Hatha yoga should be done under the guidance of a trained teacher.

Awakening the Kundalini from Bottom Up

This form involves the awakening of the Kundalini through visualization and mantras. However this method is not suitable, keeping the present lifestyle in mind. This method may also excessively activate the lower nature, unless inner purification is done thoroughly.

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

WIBTA if i (19) told my mom (54) not to travel to learn to become a yoga instructor?

my family is fairly wealthy. not crazy levels, but my parents own their home, lease a small cabin, and we go on a family vacation (as in plane tickets) once a year. my mom is one of the top employment lawyers in our area and my dad is a public school teacher. she was the first person in her family to go to university.

both my parents have been doing yoga on and off for at least a decade at this point, and my mom decided she wants to do training to become a yoga instructor on top of practicing law. i thought, that's great! something to help her manage her stress and keep her motivated to exercise!

turns out, she wants to travel and do a four week program in india, bali, or thailand. we live in canada. my mother is white and british. i don't think this is a great look. when she first told me, i said something along the lines of "oh... how colonial of you" but i think she thought i was kidding.

i've been considering telling her that i don't really approve of this and asking her to instead donate the money she would have spent on the journey to a palestine relief fund or something, and do the training locally.

this is where the real potential assholery comes in: in january to may this year, i spent about 9000 dollars on a mental-breakdown-inspired trip to france, which i paid for myself after working full-time in a warehouse for several months. i might be an asshole, and i might be a hypocrite. i don't know.

What are these acronyms?

[jedivoodoochile]

Joanne Latham.

Latham was born in Wolverhampton. After studying classical ballet for nine years she took a scholarship to the Royal Ballet School. A dancing competition led to her modelling for retailer Miss Selfridge. This led on to other modelling and television commercials, including appearing on Page 3 of The Sun and in the Daily Mirror.

In 1978, ATV made a documentary about her called "A Model's Dream" in the series England, Their England. After a shoot with leading glamour photographer Patrick Lichfield, he included her photo on the inside front cover of his book The Most Beautiful Women, a collection of his photographs.

In 1979, men's magazines Playboy and Penthouse competed to publish the first nude pictures of her. Latham signed a contract with Bob Guccione and Penthouse, which promised a fee of £70,000 for her to appear in the September 1979 issue, which was also the 10th Anniversary of the US edition. Latham was selected as Pet Of The Month and featured on nineteen pages of the magazine, including the cover. That edition made U.S. history, selling more in dollar percentage than any other magazine to date and making a profit of $18 million. She also appeared with other Penthouse Pets in the televised broadcast pageant for the selection of the 1979 Pet Of The Year, in which she participated in the opening segment with singer Frankie Valli and a fashion show. After a brief affair with Guccione, Latham's contract was terminated with Penthouse when she fell in love with Guccione's son. She moved from New York to Los Angeles and briefly became the girlfriend of Hugh Hefner, living in the Playboy Mansion. In the early 1980s, Latham returned to England to her Midland home in the village of Tettenhall.

Latham was featured on the cover of Death Penalty, the debut album by the heavy metal band Witchfinder General, which was released in 1982. She also featured on the cover of Friends of Hell, their second album released in 1983.

In 1982, Latham was involved in a serious car accident, after which she gave up modelling and opened the first 'workout' keep-fit studio in the UK. Her daughter, Elizablue Nairi, was born in southern Spain in June 1985.

In later years, she studied drama at Birmingham Repertory Theatre, working under a director of the Royal Shakespeare Company and went on to play the lead role in a government-funded film for the arts.

In 1999, Latham became a teacher of yoga training at the Sivananda Yoga Vendanta Centre in Nassau, Bahamas. Since then, she has continued working in the healing arts. Despite several offers, she has refused to write her autobiography. She has set up her own charity with her daughter 'Blue', who is also a teacher of yoga.

[yourtouchismidas]

Thinking about your posts where you said people at Gigi’s school don’t particularly like Matty. Could we get a blurb of maybe RG and Matty or just Matty showing up at the school to pick up Gigi and a parent or school staff member confronts him? Maybe he gets to defend himself or even Gigi does?

matty is at the school gates with his hands in his pockets. it's chilly, and matty is tired. he is always tired. work is long and there's always people wanting things, wanting him, his words, his time, his thoughts. all he wants right now, is to watch his little girl's face light up when she sees him at the school gates, is to hold her hand as they walk home to you, is to hear about her art project or her circle time or her sums she's finding hard.

there is a group of women next to him, one in yoga pants, one in a pant suit with a skirt, one with those huge nike trainers on women are wearing these days. matty, despite his bank account, gets on more with the ones who rock up in trackies, like he is wearing now, dads who spend their evenings at the pub, mum's who work two jobs trying to get by. today he is too tired to talk to anyone. anyone except gigi, anyway, and you (you've already got the kettle on ready for his return.)

the woman are looking at him, he can feel it. he's got his eyes trained on the doors, where no children have emerged yet, still five minutes to go. one of the woman laughs. they turn to him then turn back to the group. they're all turned inwards, towards each other. one of them is kayleigh's mum. kayleigh who tells gigi she can't play with her. kayleigh who told gigi her halloween costume was stupid. kayleigh who got paint all over the table and told everyone it was gigi. gigi takes it better than him. she shrugs and says kayleigh is mean, and that she doesnt want to be friends with her, and that the teacher always knows that gigi is a good girl and wouldnt do what kayleigh blames her for. gigi says that kayleigh doesnt understand her halloween costume cos she still likes baby stuff. and matty, since he can't drop kick a six year old, has learnt to just do a half smile at kayleigh's mum, breathe and let it go.

except today he is in a bad mood and they are talking about him. he can hear it. he has heard the word "band" and "tour" and he has heard someone say "missing school" which he assumes is about gigi, because she spends some time on the road with him. he has no doubts that if he didnt bring her out to tour, then these women would complain too, about leaving her behind. there is no winning. he is a bad father. because of his career. because of everything they know about his past. everyone knows about his past.

he's trying to breathe and let it go. he's trying to pretend like he can't hear. he should move. the kids will be here soon. gigi will be here. except then he hears the words, "never here," and something inside him snaps.

"i'm here now, aren't i?" he barks at them. he tries so hard. and he misses his daughter with his whole heart when he is not with her, and do they not think, if he could, he would spend more time with her? they all look round in faux surprise, as if they are completely innocent.

"oh don't do that," matty says, "i have ears."

they all look at each other and shrug, frowning, except kayleigh's mum, who stares him out.

"we're just discussing parenting styles. that's all. and yours is... different," she says, still staring at him.

"i'd rather be on tour a few times a year, than have my daughter raised to think that it's okay to talk shit about people in the playground," he shrugs.

"can you not swear please?" one of the other mums says, "we're in a school."

"the kids aren't out yet?" matty says, gesturing at the playground, where only adults stand, "or are you deluded about that too, the same way you're deluded about the fact you were definitely talking shit about me a few seconds ago."

the door opens and kids pour out, running at parents, gigi in the doorway but not quite here yet.

"they're here now," kayleigh's mum says.

"your powers of observation astound me," he says, just as gigi cries out "daddy!" and runs at his legs.

"hi baby," he says to her, putting a big hand on her head where he neat little plaits you tied for her this morning have come loose and are wild and fraying. she looks between you and the other mums, sensing something is wrong, when kayleigh appears, thrusting something glittery into her mum's arms saying "look what i made mummy."

"oh wow that's beautiful darling," her mum says, crouching down to her to zip up her coat that is open. kayleigh starts fussing. whining.

"you ready babygirl?" matty asks, and gigi nods, putting her hand in his, as kayleigh dissolves into a full on tantrum, screaming with a red face on the floor, as the whole playground turns to her.

"kayleigh's crying," gigi says, plainly, as if it isn't obvious to everyone in the playground, or in a one mile radius.

"hmm," matty says.

"she's just getting her coat done up," gigi says, staring too, stopped.

"come on, love," he says, nudging her arm, "don't stare. it's not nice to be rude, is it?"

"no," gigi agrees.

matty starts to walk away, gigi trotting along beside him, not staring, but he does throw back one look at kayleigh's mum, who catches his eye. he waves, doing his little half smile, turning away and smirking.

[deandoesthingstome]

I'm so sad right now.

I just found out the yoga studio I've been practicing at for more than six years, through Covid and everything, is closing. Our last class will be Thanksgiving.

I have so many emotions.

I found this studio through a suggestion from my sister when my marriage was going through a rough patch. I cried on my mat for the first few weeks because this particular practice, at this particular studio, with these teachers, brings it out of you. The connection is everything.

And it took time, but I made connections. I found myself seeking faces and saying hello and looking forward to those 60 minutes I chose to spend on my mat, for myself, yet in community.

I found ways to grow off my mat and used that growth to save my marriage. I went through teacher training and learned even more about myself. I have laughed and cried and ached and celebrated in that room.

And now the end is near and I am so emotional.

I know you never know what will happen. I know new doors open and opportunities present themselves. I know I will spend the rest of the time I have grateful for the time I had.

It just sucks.

[study-with-aura]

Tuesday, May 28, 2024

I am so happy to be done with my piano practical! I think I did fairly well. I do know that I messed up slightly on my technical tests. I had to start over on one of them. As in, how does one mess up a chromatic scale!? Somehow, I managed to. I think my fingers were trying to fly too quickly, and I skipped a note, and the rest is thankfully history. The other one that I didn't start over but had a pause on was the leading tone diminished 7th arpeggio in which my silly fingers wanted to play a dominant 7th but I caught it so I didn't have to start over. I know I'll lose points for those two for sure, but other than that, my ear tests went well. Thank you to my teacher who is constantly doing ear training with me! My sight reading was a bit slower than it should have been for the set tempo, but other than that, I played the selection well and didn't stumble through it since it was quite simple. Sight reading makes me nervous for some reason.

However, the best part of the test was repertoire. I was so happy with my nocturne! It was Nocturne in E Flat Major, Op. 9, No. 2 by Chopin, and it is one of my favorite pieces that I have learned to date. I've always liked the piece so prepping it for my practical, it was my number one immediate pick that I didn't even need to think about when I saw it on the list.

Tasks Completed:

History 9 - Studied more terms

Theory - Reviewed chromatic scale and melody inversion

KA Geometry - Completed daily mastery challenge

KA Biology - Completed daily mastery challenge + completed Unit 8: Lesson 2 (part 1)

Duolingo - Studied for approximately 30 minutes (Spanish + French + Chinese, or will have by tonight)

Piano - Level 9 practical exam

Reading - Read pages 66-97 of A Whisper in the Walls by Scott Reintgen

Chores - Laundry

Activities of the Day:

Personal Bible Study (Psalm 55)

Morning Yoga

Nature hike with Julien

2.5 hours gaming with Julien (will do after posting this)

Journal/Mindfulness

[the-ninja-legacy-whip]

What clubs, teams, and other extracurricular everyone is in/will do?

Associated Reading: Past Extracurriculars!

Kai: Kai's only extra thing was temporarily being on the track team his first year, which ofc he quit when he dropped out. Doesn't take up anything new rn due to having his hands full with looking out for Lloyd (and just trying to get through school in one piece), but might get back into track for his final year.

Jay: Is still trying to make Robotics Club a legitimate thing, but until then, Sunni manages to talk him into getting back into doing science fairs (which also feeds into his upcoming extra credit project upupu). Might wind up doing Quiz Bowl or something similar in his last year too, if I'm feeling spicy.

Cole: Was into sports until The Dodgeball Incident, and doesn't take up anything new because a) he hates school, b) it's his last year anyway and c) most of his extra time will taken up by his part-time job at the Rockshot Club (does that count as a club? lol). Sometimes thinks about joining the art club, climbing club, or a dance club, but is lowkey afraid of how he'll be received. Might be able to be talked into doing climbing as a last hurrah, at least.

Zane: Obviously is on the student council, and is a member of the archery club (which has been mentioned in passing a time or two!) and the chess team. Probably would join more stuff if he could/wanted, but being on the Student Council (and the cold reception he receives) is already intimidating enough.

Nya: Also obviously on the council, would join every club if there was enough time in a life, but for now councilwork and her future job at the autobody shop takes up most of her extra time (thank goodness). ...Don't tell her a Debate Team exists, please. (Also might rejoin gymnastics down the line, should the opportunity arise)

Lloyd: The Green Ninja doesn't have time for such frivolous things, tch. ...that being said, his presence as a band member might lead to shenanigans in the future hgffgdd (buuuut he might join archery alongside Zane down the line, since while his bow and arrow skills are pretty good courtesy of his mother, he can still use the extra practice)

Jesse: Beyond councilwork, does not have anything extracurricular due to his job working at his family's place (and eventually furthering his career as a performer), buuut with the former being out of commission rn due to Great Devourer Aftermath, he's got some free time to spare...maybe by joining in on a little ninja training at a certain dojo? (He also was in choir but had to quit because he was too good. The music teacher still mourns his loss.) Might join the theater club for his final year.

Antonia: Beyond councilwork, is/will also be: in the newspaper club, on the yearbook committee, in photography, on the cycling team, on the swim team, runs a very informative blog, and yoga club. She gets up to a lot when not keeping up with ninja or keeping her best friend(s) in one piece hfdfdfghd

Harumi: Right now is just focused on her councilwork, but over the years she also gets into: VOLLEYBALL, National Honor Society (or the Ninjago equivalent), tutoring, history club, math league, debate club, martial arts, occult club, and AP classes...She and Antonia are out here doing the most.

Olivia: Has phased out of her extracurriculars due to the Shark Army being an active threat again, but was in the occult club and the dnd-equivalent club. Also probably should not be told about the Debate Team.

Miranda: Nerd. Pioneers a social media club, eagerly joins Jay's fully realized robotics club down the line, joins the soccer and ping pong teams, and does film club, a coding/website-making extracurricular (easy for her with her hacking skills), anime/manga club, and a graphic design club.

Sunni: Does science fairs like Jay, but also joins the student council cabinet after Zane graduates (Nya becomes Prez, Jesse becomes Vice Prez, and she slots in as the new secretary), partakes in spelling bees, charity work, volleyball (at least for one year, just to try it–she's not very athletic otherwise), tutoring, science bowl, and photography. Just, not all at the same time.

Harleigh: Is not academic smart whatsoever, but finds ways to flaunt her skills in other ways such as: jewelry-making club, fencing team, swim team, and the ceramics club. Also attempts volleyball but only because Sunni is there

[eatmangoesnekkid]

A Love Story on "Savanasa,"

a posture of rest and integration where you lie on your back while fully relaxed as much as possible and extend your arms and legs out to the side.

In yoga, savasana is always the last posture in the class or practice.

Ancient yogis say that savasana is the most important and difficult posture in yoga because it requires the student or practitioner to empty out and completely let go of their physical and mental tension in the moment. Deeply difficult to do because “being empty” and "letting go" are hardest acts for human physiology and psychology.

We are conditioned to keep and hold onto for dear life and live afraid of change, of fully letting go, living in the unknown, becoming new. We were programmed to stuff our bodies with information, to cross-check and research facts in the internet, to be addicted to thinking and talking all the damn time, and distrusting of our intuitive bodies and divine gifts. We were trained to live as AI instead of human, less female and divine and more synthetic and superficial.

I too have lived all jacked and stuffed up in my brain for many years. I had deprogram myself and meet my deepest shadows and sorrows that inhibited me from lightening up, emptying out, and letting go and would have made me rush through savasana had I been practicing yoga while getting my university degrees.

After experiencing so many deaths in my family and feeling deeply alone in this world, I desired to know the feminine, to embody mature feminine energy. Because the inability to "let go" is a deep fear of the feminine and I could no longer be afraid of my primordial self. And one of the most important aspects of authentic feminine energy (which isn't about makeup or high heels) is embodying the strength and softness to be able to let go. Disengage. Empty.

So that you can be FILLED up with the light of the universe. Because a full vessel has no space to receive, Ma! Full with conditioning, programming, statistics, too much religious dogma, patriarchal thought, gender wars, race consciousness, unconscious war and colonialism, malnutrition ways of eating, and even femininst thought. Everything you have ever learned in this 3D reality has be vetted and examined, combed through with fine-tooth comb without attachment. You may then decide to keep some of what you were taught but most of it will probably have to be thrown away into the river. Now you are empty and ready for the love story of savasana.

Out of 20-something people in my Bikram hot yoga class this morning, I was the last person to get up from savasana.

But I am always the last person, or next to last, to wake up from this very important posture of receiving. I do imagine it is because I love to let go. I love to lighten up, to lighten my heart. I love to sweat out and leave everything that is not serving my tissues and organs on the mat to be cleaned away. I am sensitive that I can go very deep in my body during relaxation which is also incredible for lover archetypes to master or to get better than average at. Deep relaxation.

Savasana, in my opinion, should last anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes. Usually I feel integrated and ready to get up around the 15-20 minute mark.

If you practice yoga and want to accelerate the benefits, do not rush your savasana. Instead be gentle and more surrendered, and allow your body (temple) to fully integrate new information. Deeply feminine.

Do not rush to leave the room or try to skip out on savasana. Please do not be one of those people who shoot up off their mat like a rocket as soon as the teacher says "namaste" or "thank you." Receive the benefits you rightfully deserve from taking time to practice yoga. Even if you only have time to lay for 60 seconds, be deliberate. Permit your body to let go and gracefully receive new intelligence. Then rise slowly like a lover from ancient times, leaning to the right side and using your left arm to help prop your upper body up with ease off your mat. Now that your divine energy is in tact with your human form, go bask in the afterglow. --India Ame'ye, Author

[fearecia]

Putting this in a pinned post to make it easy to find/share. We all know how Tumblr is about things (and to be fair, I'm terrible and inconsistent as hell with tags).

Link to the "shoulder release" document:

Notes about this guide:

This is a WIP, and still very much in the rough draft phase. Please forgive typos/errors. I literally haven't done a single edit yet.

The document focuses on releasing shoulders as a way to treat neck tension and migraines. Seriously, just trust me. It helps.

Carpal tunnel? Tennis elbow? Golfer's elbow? AC (acromioclavicular) joint injury? Rotator cuff problems? Tight upper back? Sporadic numbness in your arm? Seriously, just try the muscles already listed. You'll likely find at least some relief. Like, if it involves the upper body, release your shoulders.

I've done my best to make this able to be understood by people without massage training. So if it seems like it's covering really "obvious" info, that's intentional. Just skip the section if you already know things.

A lot of massage therapists may balk at me telling you to dig around in your own armpit. We're taught in school to avoid the area. Why? Because there's a crap ton of nerves and blood vessels there. *Which is precisely why releasing this area is so powerful.* There's also a ton of muscle (on yes, basically everybody) here that will protect all those structures. It's honestly really safe so long as you stick to "In pain, refrain!" And read the other rules too.

90% of the time, the culprit is one of the four muscles listed (or any combination of them). If you are someone who exercises a lot/does yoga/is otherwise pretty physically active, you are more likely to fall into the 10% of people who will have their issue somewhere else/it will just be really hard to find. So bear that in mind.

Sadly, this sort of thing will probably never be a "one and done" type of deal. Most of the things we do every day steadily build up to cause problems, and you have to constantly work to undo that entropy. So save these notes for future you.

And just in case you want to know what the hell qualifies me to make this sort of document, here are my "quals."

My first career attempt was nursing. While this did not go well (doctors don't really appreciate autistic students willing to question their authority) I learned a shit ton about the body. I became a student teacher for the anatomy and physiology class because I was so good at it (and that professor used to teach the pre-med students). A&P is now literally one of my special interests.

8 years as a licensed massage therapist focused exclusively on injury therapy. I studied Rolfing techniques, and primarily used trigger point therapy, structural integration, and myofascial release as my tools. Clients liked to joke that going to see me was like seeing the physical therapist (they weren't wrong).

Some of the stuff I share is literally self taught through "following the tension" in clients bodies. Like, I developed some of my protocols. And then practiced and refined them over 100s of bodies. The goal was always the most efficient and least painful way to achieve lasting release.

I eventually destroyed my shoulder doing massage (which was injured long before this career due to an AC joint sprain gotten when I was 20). Bonus, this means I'm *very* practiced at releasing my own shoulders.

I'm now a mechanical engineer, which just means I now have the engineering knowledge to understand to the force transferrence patterns I saw in clients all the time. Kinesiology is the same thing as statics and dynamics.

Hopefully that helps put perspective into things. I'll update this post as new versions of the document come out. I have a ton on my plate right now (who am I joking; I always have a ton on my plate), so please be patient waiting for updates.

[allergictocolor]

Character Profile - Gomez Addams

“Husband of Morticia (if indeed they are married at all), a crafty schemer, but also a jolly man in his own way. Tries hard to be father and teacher to the children, though sometimes misguided - we can depend on Morticia to straighten him out. Sentimental and often puckish - optimistic, he is full of enthusiasm for his dreadful plots. He is dressed in a tight double-breasted striped suit and is sometimes seen in a rather formal dressing gown. The only one who smokes - though Pugsley can be allowed an occasional cigar.” - Chas Addams

That was the description Charles Addams provided for the producers of the television show in 1963. His cartoon depiction of Gomez (named after a friend of his) was short and squat, dark-skinned, with a pushed-up nose, a mustache, and hair parted in the middle. I mentioned previously that he was modeled after Thomas E. Dewey. My husband pointed out to me that Dewey was the “Dewey Defeats Truman” guy. You can read about that weird event-turned-meme here. The TV show included an Easter egg for that in the 4th episode “Gomez, the Politician” (left).

It was the show that established that Gomez is driven mad with passion when Morticia speaks French, or any other language, in front of him, causing him to kiss her arm (right image above). They also established that he’s Spanish (they said Castilian to specify central/northern Spain) and his hobbies include fencing, knife throwing, zen yoga, and blowing up model trains. He calls Morticia “Tish”, “Querida”, and “Cara Mia”.

The comics always portrayed the family as eccentric and wealthy without an explanation as to where their wealth came from. The show depicted Gomez frequently checking a stock market ticker in their living room for his investments in companies with names like Amalgamated Dust.

Gomez in the 60s was a jack of all trades, but a master of none. He was a lawyer, sort of. He fenced, badly. He threw knives, and usually missed. He lost a lot of money in the stock market, but it didn’t matter. They were still rich beyond imagining. Per their creator’s wishes, it was Morticia who really ran things. Gomez was the starry-eyed dreamer. He would do anything for her.

Charles Addams never meant for Gomez to have “leading man” good looks. He was meant to be a bit of a ghoul, a weirdo, a loveable creep. The producers of the 60s TV show knew that wouldn’t really fly with their viewing audience, so they cast John Astin. They could let Fester and Lurch be weird looking. They needed Gomez to at least be cute. Addams passed away before the 1991 movie, but he likely would have objected at least a little to the suave and debonair Raul Julia. At least the movies brought back a little more of the evil.

Charles Addams had complained that the characters in the 60s show were “half as evil” as his cartoon creations. The 1990s Barry Sonnenfeld films may have had a handsome Gomez, but they brought back the sinister nature in a big way. The family drank poison. Gomez practiced his golf swing by hitting balls into his neighbor’s house. Importantly, the very first scene was a recreation of one of the most popular Addams family comics, pouring an unidentified something on a group of carolers at the front door of their mansion.

Raul Julia’s Gomez was many things John Astin’s was not. He was a crack marksman, a skilled knife thrower, and light on his feet. But like Astin’s Gomez, he thought working for a living was for chumps, so he was completely unmoored when the family was ousted from their home. Members of the Addams family don’t have such mundane things as jobs. It was with Julia’s Gomez that we got the real impression that most of the family’s money came from crime, and we loved him for it.

Raul Julia made such an impression as Gomez, that when Nathan Lane stepped into those shiny loafers to play him on a Broadway stage, it was clear he was not so much playing Gomez Addams, as playing Raul Julia playing Gomez Addams. The musical is a hoot, and if you get a chance to see friends in a local production of it, I recommend giving it a shot. However, it didn’t add anything significant to any of the characters.

The 2019 animated film blended visual aspects of both the original comics and the 1960s TV show. This version of Gomez is extremely similar to the comic version, and also has a bit of Peter Lorre to him. (He was the Igor type in old horror movies.) He follows Charles Addams’ original brief of trying hard to be father and teacher to his children, though perhaps he takes this too far with Pugsley. The animated medium allowed the storytellers to be as cartoonishly evil as possible. Charles would have been delighted.

One theme which has been present in all versions of the Addams family is the sense that they don’t belong in polite society. This is taken to an extreme in the 2019 animated film, which I do recommend if you haven’t seen it. (You can skip the sequel.) That theme is then built upon in the 2022 Netflix series, where the Addamses are all members of a caste of society called “outcasts”, different from “normies” in various ways. Typically, outcasts are werewolves, sirens, vampires, witches, etc. We have not yet seen what sets Gomez apart, but perhaps we will in season 2.

In the Netflix series, Luis Guzmán is the latest actor to fill out Gomez’s pinstriped suit, and he’s the one we can most easily believe has committed some crimes. People who only know of the Addams family from the 90s movies objected to his casting, but those of us who understand the full history know that he’s a perfect fit. And I, for one, can’t wait to see what he does in the next season.